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How Will Wildfires Affect Indiana?

By Lane Wolf

Posted September 15, 2020

fire.jpg

In a 2018 report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment by Purdue University, researchers said by 2050 Indiana temperatures will rise about 5 to 6 degrees.

Climate change fueling West Coast wildfires could lead to increased fire activity in Indiana, according to National Weather Service officials.

The governors of California, Oregon and Washington all blame higher temperatures and drier weather caused by climate change for the intensity of the wildfires ravaging their states. Crystal Pettet, a meteorologist with the NWS, says increased temperatures and drought could lead to hotter fire seasons in Indiana.

“We can look at the past to get an idea of what we can see in the future,” Pettet said. “In some of our drier years, we have seen issues with fires in Central Indiana.”

According to Pettet, much of Indiana is currently experiencing drought, and while Hoosiers will only see milky skies and colorful sunsets caused by the West Coast wildfires, higher temperatures and drier weather like in 2012 could lead to increased fire activity.

“We had a very dry summer (in 2012.) We had some of the highest temperatures we’ve had on record in Indiana. And we saw a lot of field fires, especially as we were getting into late summer and early fall as farmers were starting to harvest some of their crops,” Pettet said.

In a 2018 report from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment by Purdue University, researchers said the average annual temperature in Indiana has risen by 0.4 degree Fahrenheit per decade, but by 2050, temperatures will rise about 5 to 6 degrees.

Data from the NWS’s July 2020 Climate Summary indicated, “average temperatures for the month generally ran 3 to 5 degrees above normal with many locations experiencing their warmest July since 2012.”

Pettit said wildfires on the West Coast won’t affect air quality in Indiana, as the smoke lingers in the Jet Stream. But where fires blaze, residents can expect significant air quality issues.

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